Article ejecting device for wrapping machines



July 2, 1935. FARMER ET AL 2,006,711

I I 1 I I l I I I I I i J6 17 21 FIG.2 5 PI P v i I 5 P 6 II I J I v 24' 24 fi I d $25329 3 13 31 26 z as gg L 15 M Patented July 2, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTICLE EJEC'I'IN G DEVICE FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Fred Farmer and Helmer Andersen, Brooklyn,

assignors to American Machine Jr 9 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in wrapping machines wherein the wrapped packages are delivered into a drying or sealing chamber from which they are expelled by the forward pressure of the following packages delivered into the chamber.

The main object of the invention is to provide means for automatically ejecting all the packages from the sealing chamber or runway at the end of a run, or at any other cessation of the feed during which there are no advancing packages to push out the packages remaining in the sealing chamber.

In wrapping machines of the type specified, the. sealing chamber has heretofore been provided with an automatic trip mechanism, said mechanism comprising a contact finger which was released when a break in the regular continuity of the package arrival occurred. This contact, when so released, closed an electric circuit to a solenoid, thereby energizing the latter which thereupon actuated suitable mechanism for moving a cam rail into the path of the empty package pushing means, and thus causing the latter to engage and propel the last package of the continuous series through the sealing chamber onto a delivery conveyor.

The above described unit worked satisfactorily but due to its complex design and the costly price of manufacture, a much simpler device, as disclosed in the present invention, has been needed.

In the present invention, a trip mechanism is provided which automatically releases a latch when a break in the regular continuity of the package arrival occurs, such as by the missing of one or more packages, or at the end of a run. The latch when released permits a cam rail to move into the guide path of the empty package pushing means and thus causes the latter to engage and push the last package of the continuous series until it is deposited on the delivery conveyor. The cam rail remains in this position until the next package travels over and depresses a raised plate which is provided in the base of the (ores-4) acters of reference indicate the same or like parts:

Fig. 1 is a partial plan view of a wrapping machine showing the improved mechanism for automatically ejecting the packages; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

In carrying the invention into effect there is provided a heat sealing runway, a continuous series of pushers, mechanism for moving said pushers into and through part of the length of the runway to advance a continuous series of packages into the runway, automatic mechanical means normally operative to cause said pushers to continue their travel through the remainder of the runway, a package-controlled feeler for incapacitating said means, and a stop normally operative to incapacitate said means and periodically actuated by said mechanism to release said means, so that all the packages in the runway will be cleared out when a break occurs in the continuity of the packages being advanced by the pushers. In the best constructions contemplated said mechanism includes an endless traveling chain on which the pushers are pivotally mounted, operating arms rigidly connected to the pushers, and rollers on the operating arms, and said means includes a cam rail alongside the runway and movable into position to engage the rollers on the operating arms and maintain the pushers in upright package-engaging position throughout the length of the runway, and said stop being arranged to obstruct the movement of the cam rail into operative position and adapted to be raised out of obstructing position by said mechanism. These va rious means and parts may be widely varied in construction for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the specific construction shown and described.

Referring to the drawing, the pusher fingers i, clamped in pairs on shafts 6 loosely mounted in bearing lugs I attached at equal intervals to endless conveyor chains 8, convey the packages P to the sealing runway or chamber of the packaging machine. The chains 8 run over the rear idler sprockets 9 mounted on shaft l0 and over a pair of front drive sprockets, not shown. The shaft i0 is carried by brackets H attached to a cross member I! held by the side frames IS.

The packages P pass over a table H, which forms the bottom of the sealing runway, and the adjustable sealer plates l5 form its sides. The pairs of pushers 5 are spaced apart considerably more than the width of the packages P and are lifted out of engagement with the latter within the entrance to the sealing chamber, which is long enough to accommodate a row of packages at a time so that no package is ejected from the sealing chamber until the packages have filled the chamber and a new package is entering.

- ported by rails 2| to prevent their sagging which,

Operating arms I2 attached to the cross shafts 5 of conveyor chains 2 support rollers II which guide the pusher fingers 5 by engaging with guides and 'rails during their travel with the conveyor chains. The rollers ll of the pusher fingers 5 on the lower run of the conveyor chains travel along the bottom of a stationary guide rail I2, thereby maintaining the pusher fingers in upright position to engage and push the package into the sealing runway. Guide rail l2 carries an adjustable end piece l2 terminating in a curved portion 25 with which the rollers l1 of each pair of pusher fingers engage successively when the package advanced by-them has entered the sealing chamber, whereby the pusher fingers are swung up over the package during the continued travel of the conveyor chains, leaving it stationary until the next package is pushed against it. The end piece I2 is secured adjustably to rail l2 so that the point of disengagement of the pusher fingers may be set in accordance with the width of the package to be wrapped by the machine. The lower runs of chains 2 are supif excessive, would interfere with the proper action of the pusher fingers.

The table i4 is provided with-an opening 22 large enough to allow free vertical motion of a cup 22 projecting therethrough. A teat at the upper end of cup 22 is riveted to a feeler plate 24 which may be formed of any suitable resilient material such as steel. The free end of the plate 24 normally assumes the raised position 24' indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and its other end is bent back over the front edge of the table l4 and secured thereto. One end of a depressor finger 25 is loosely inserted into the bowl of cup 22, and its other end is fastened to a clamp block 28 fast on the shaft 21. The shaft 21 is free to turn on trunnions 22 projecting from the support bars 29 fastened to the tie rod 22 connecting the side frames i2.

An arm 2| clamped to shaft 21 is pinned to a connecting rod 22 the upper end of which is attached to a reset lever 22; One end of lever 22 is fulcrumed on a stud 24 carried by an angle 25 fastened on the cross bar l2. The other end of lever 22 is forked, the prongs 22 and 21 thereof embracing a reset angle 22 secured to arm 42. A bracket 29 fastened to the cross bar l2 carries a set of studs 42 on which are pivoted the arms 4| and 42 which carry a cam rail 42. The projecting prong 44 of the forked end of lever 22 abuts the cam rail 42.

When the pusher fingers 5 deliver a package to the table i4, the package is pushed over the feeler which is in its raised position 24' shown in dotted lines. The weight of the package depresses the feeler with the finger 25, thus, with the aid of an adjustably mounted balance weight 45 mounted on the finger 25, counteracting the downward pressure of the reset linkage and raising the rod 22 to lift the prong 25 of the lever 22 into engagement with the reset angle 22. The engagement of said prong with the angle 22 swings the cam rail 42 into its non-operative position, thereby allowing the roller II of fingers s to follow the curved guide surface 20 of the end piece l2 and permit the fingers 5 to clear the package P after it has reached a position beyond the feeler 3 thus leaving the package P and any previously delivered packages in the sealing chamber unless the latter has been filled, in which case the foremost package in the chamber is ejected during the delivery of the package P to the chamber.

During the travel of the pusher fingers 5, a pin 42 protruding from the guide rail I2 is periodically lifted against the leaf spring 41 by the rollers II. The lifting of pin 45 raises a stop 42 attached to the free end of the spring 41 out of the position in which it normally obstructs the movement of the cam rail 42 into operative position. While the stop 42 is in raised position, any failure of the pushers 5 to deliver a package onto plate 24 permits the latter to remain in its raised position 24' and the lever 22 to swing down about its fulcrum, causing the top prong 21 to engage the reset angle 22 and thus move cam rail 42 from its non-operative position into alignment with the guide rail l2 behind the end piece I! of the latter.

The cam rail 42 now forms a continuation of the straight rail l2 so that the roller II of the empty pair of fingers 5 is now guided along cam rail 42, thus engaging with the package P left by the preceding finger and pushing the same, together with previously delivered packages P still in the sealing chamber, onto the delivery conveyor 42.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wrapping. machine, the combination with a heat sealing runway adapted to receive a row of packages and heat seal the same, of a continuous series of 'pushers, mechanism for moving said pushers into and through part of the length of said runway to advance a continuous series of packages into said runway, automatic mechanical means normally operative to cause said pushers to continue their travel through the remainder of the length of said runway and thus clear the runway of packages, a feeler arranged in said runway to' engage the packages being delivered thereto by said pushers and be actuated thereby to incapacitate said means, and a stop normally operative to incapacitate said means and periodically actuated by said mechanism to release said means, whereby all the packages in said runway will be cleared out of the runway when a break occurs-in the continuity of the series of packages being advanced by said pushers.

2. In a wrapping machine, the combination with a heat sealing runway adapted to receive a row of packages and heat seal the same, of a continuous series of pushers, mechanism for moving said pushers into and through part of the length of said runway to advance a continuous series of packages into said runway, automatic mechanical means normally operative to cause said pushers to continue their travel through the remainder of the length of said runway and thus clear the runway of packages, a feeler arranged in said runway to engage the packages being delivered thereto by said pushers and be actuated thereby to incapacitate said means, and a stop normally operative to incapacitate said means and periodically actuated by said mechanism to release said means, whereby all the packages in said runway will be cleared out of the rimway when a break occurs in the continuity of the series of packages being advanced by said pushers, said mechanism including an endless traveling chain on which said pushers are pivotally mounted, arms rigidly connected to said pushers, rollers on said arms, a stationary guide rail arranged to engage the rollers on said arms and thereby hold said pushers in upright package-engaging position, and an end piece carried by said guide rail and overhanging said runway, the end piece being arranged to engage the rollers on said arms and shaped to permit said arms and pushers to swing upwardly while the pushers are advancing packages along said runway so that the pushers may disengage the packages.

3. In a wrapping machine, the combination with a heat sealing runway adapted to receive a row oi packages and heat seal the same, of a continuous series of pushers, mechanism for moving said pushers into and through part of the length of said runway to advance a continuous series of packages into said runway, automatic mechanical means normally operative to cause said pushers to continue their travel through the remainder of the length 01 said runway and thus clear the runway of packages, a ieeler arranged in said runway to engage the packages being delivered thereto by said pushers and be actuated thereby to incapacitate said means, and a stop normally operative to incapacitate said means and periodically actuated by said mechanism to release said means, whereby all the packages in said runway will be cleared out of the runway when a break occurs in the continuity of the series of packages being advanced by said pushers, said mechanism including an endless traveling chain on which said pushers are pivotally mounted, operating arms rigidly connected to said pushers and rollers on said operating arms, and said means including a cam rail alongside said runway, pivoted arms carrying said cam rail, and a lever adapted to swing said pivoted arms to move the cam rail into position to engage the rollers on said operating arms and thereby maintain the pushers in upright package-engaging position throughout the length of the runway.

4. In a wrapping machine, the combination with' a heat sealing runway adapted to receive a row of packages and heat seal the same, oi. a continuous series of pushers, mechanism for moving said pushers into and through part of the length of said runway to advance a continuous series of packages into said runway automatic mechanical means normally operative to cause said pushers to continue their travel through the remainder oi the length of said rimway and thus clear the runway of packages, a ieeler arranged in said runway to engage the packages being delivered thereto by said pushers and be actuated thereby to incapacitate said means, and a stop normally operative to incapacitate said means and periodically actuated by said mechanism to release said means, whereby all the packages in said runway will be cleared out of the runway when a break occurs in the continuity of the series of packages being advanced by said pushers, said mechanism including an endless traveling chain on which said pushers are pivotally mounted, operating arms rigidly connected to said pushers, rollers on said operating arms, and a stationary guide rail arranged to engage the rollers on said operating arms and thereby hold said pushers in upright-package-engaging position, and said means including a cam rail alongside said runway and swingable into position to engage the rollers on said operating arms and thereby maintain the pushers in upright package-engaging position throughout the length of the runway, and said stop being arranged to obstruct the movement oi said cam rail into operative position and adapted to be raised out of obstructing position by said mechanism.

5. In a wrapping machine, the combination with a heat sealing runway adapted to receive a row of packages and heat seal the same, of a continuous series of pushers, mechanism for moving said pushers into and through part 01 the length of said runway to advance a continuous series of packages into said runway, automatic mechanical means normally operative to cause said pushers to continue their travel through the remainder oi. the length of said runway and thus clear the runway of packages, a feeler arranged in said runway to engage the packages being delivered thereto by said pushers and be actuated thereby to incapacitate said means, and a stop normally operative to incapacitate said means and periodically actuated by said mechanism to release said means, whereby all the packages in said runway will be cleared out of the runway when a breakoccurs in the continuity of the series of packages being advanced by said pushers, said mechanism including an endless traveling chain on which said pushers are pivotally mounted, operating arms rigidly connected to said pushers, and rollers on said operating arms, and said means including a cam rail alongside said runway, pivoted arms carrying said cam rail, and a lever adapted to swing said pivoted arms to move the cam rail into position to engage the rollers on said operating arms and thereby maintain the pushers in upright package-engaging position throughout the length of the runway, and said feeler being mounted in said runway to be depressed by a package pushed thereover and connected to said lever to swing said cam rail out of operative position when it is depressed by a package.

6. The combination with a heat sealing runway adapted to receive a row of packages and heat seal the same, or a continuous series of pushers, mechanism for moving said pushers into and through part of the length of said runway to advance a continuous series of packages into said runway, automatic mechanical means normally operative to cause said pushers to continue their travel through the remainder of the length of said runway and thus clear the runway of packages, and a ieeler connected to said means and arranged in said runway to engage the packages being delivered thereto and be actuated thereby to incapacitate said means.

7. The combination with a heat sealing runway adapted to receive a row or packages and heat seal the same, of a continuous series of pushers, mechanism for moving said pushers into and through part of the length of said runway to advance a continuous series of packages into said runway, automatic mechanical means normally operative to cause said pushers to continue their travel through the remainder of the length of said runway and thus clear the runway of packages, and a ieeler connected to said means and arranged in said runway to engage the packages being delivered thereto and be actuated thereby to incapacitate said means, said mechanism including an endless traveling chain on which said pushers are pivotally mounted, operating arms rigidly connected to said pushers, end rollers on said operating arms, and said means including a cam rail alongside said runway, pivoted arms carrying said cam rail, and a lever adapted to swing said pivoted arms to move the cam rail into position to eng ge the rollers on said operating arms and thereby maintain the pushers in upright package-engaging position throughout the length of the runway.

8. The combination with a heat sealing runway adapted to receive a row 01' packages and heat seal the same, of a continuous series of pushers, mechanism for moving said pushers into and through part of the length of said runway to advance a continuous series oi packages into said runway, automatic mechanical means normally operative to cause said pushers to continue their travel through the remainder of the length of said runway and thus clear the nmway or packages, and a stop normally operative to incapacitate said means and periodically actuated by said mechanismto release said means.

9. The combination with a heat sealing runway adapted to receive a row or packages and heat seal the same, of a continuous series of pushers, mechanism for moving said pushers into and through part of the length of said runway to advance a continuous series of packages into said runway, automatic mechanical means normally operative to cause said pushers to continue their travel through the remainder of the length of said runway and thus clear the runway 01 packages, ands stop normally operativeto mcapacitate said means and periodically actuated by said mechanism to release said means, said mechanism including an endless traveling chain on which said pushers are pivotally mounted, arms rigidly connected to said pushers, rollers on said arms, and a stationaryguide rail arsedtoensasetherollersonsaidarms and thereby hold said pushers in upright-package'- engaging position, and said means including a cam rail alongside said runway and swingable.

into positiontoens setheroilerson saidarms and thereby maintain the pushers in-upright package-engaging position throughout the length of the runway, and said stop being arranged to obstruct the movement 0! said cam rail into operative position and adapted to be raised out oi obstructing pomtion by said mechanism.

FRED PARKER. 

